Page XXIII
by D.M.A.S
Summary: Chapter 5 added. OutlawQueen. Everything else is somehow going to fall into place. I'll try my best and I hate summaries. What if page XXIII had been exchanged? Where would everyone be now? Would Regina find true love and happiness once and for all? How would that influence everyone else?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** _Just a little theory how things could go from where we are now.._ Going to be Outlaw Queen eventually. I'm trying to reasonably get there.  
**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

"Tinkerbell?!", he called.  
"Yes?", the fairy asked a little annoyed as she appeared infront of him only moments later.  
"Tink, I need your help", he said and knew that it was a lot to ask.  
Tinkerbell stared at him, "and why would I help you after EVERYTHING you have done?"

_He knew it wouldn't be easy to convince her but he regretted a lot of the things he had done or hadn't done in the past._  
_God they had been through so much misery because of him. All of them. Just because he was being selfish and wanted his own happy end. But now, now that he himself had lost every reason to live for as well he eventually realised he was the one who had to change it. He was responsible in the first place so he had to change it back before it got even worse._

_The last few weeks his writing got even more messed up than it had been before._  
_He hated himself so much for the things he put in their way, her way mostly. He knew no matter what she would eventually always find back to her soulmate. But he had to make sure that it wouldn't work out in order to have a chance of his own happy ending._  
_Looking back now he regretted it so much. He hated himself for doing it._

_The characters didn't want to do what he wrote. That was clear and he very well knew that that was not the way to write a good book. But he didn't have a choice back then. Or well he did but he was selfish. He had chosen himself over everyone else. Time and time again._  
_He had wanted to be with Cruella for such a long time that nothing else seemed to matter to him anymore. And just now, now that she was dead he realised that it was never meant to work out. No matter how hard he had tried._

_And he realised that in the process he destroyed a lot of people's lives. Altered things, took happy moments and endings._  
_But that young woman on page 23 was the person he had hurt the most in the process. Not just once but time and time again._  
_He had made her what she never wanted to become._  
_His selfish actions turned her into that Evil Queen that everyone feared._  
_He was the one who took away her happiness in the moment she needed it most. As a young woman until then she had already been through so much that was more than enough for one person. Her first love had been killed infront of her eyes by her own mother so that she could become Queen. That she could marry a man she barely new and who wouldn't ever treat her the way anyone deserved to be treated._  
_The girl had a big heart. Naturally she wasn't pleased with what her mother had done to her but nevertheless she had forgiven the woman. Even though she had pushed her through a portal to another realm but that wasn't her idea and she regretted it deeply._  
_And he knew that humans make mistakes. They all do but it was his writing of her story that pushed her over the edge._

_She had survived that much already. She had come to the point where she eventually met Tinkerbell who showed her that happiness was still possible. That she had a chance to get out of there and find love again. True love._

_And he, what did he do? He chose to make the life of that poor young woman so much more miserable than anyone could have ever imagined._

"I'd like to give you your happy ending, Tink, but I need your help with that. I know after everything it is a lot to ask for but I know I've made mistakes, a lot of them."  
Tinkerbell couldn't believe what she just heard, "my happy end? But you, you do know-"  
He cut her off, "yes I am the author, I do know that your happy end is for a certain person to be together with her soulmate. And I would also give you a best friend for a lifetime in the process."  
"Why?", she asked him, "why would you do that?"

"I eventually realised that I've been selfish for a long time now and it isn't supposed to be about me. I ruined so many lives in the process of having a chance to get what I want that there's no way to ever make up for that, alas..."  
"Alas what?", she said, "how could you possibly fix all of this?"  
He pulled the book from behind his back, "you remember that book, don't you?"  
She nodded and he opened it on page 23.

"This is not how it should've been in the first place he said", pulling a crumbled, cut, broken and mended piece of paper from his pocket.  
"I had to break into Regina's office to get it", he stated, "but this is the way it should have been."  
"Then why has it never been in the book?", the fairy asked.  
"To make this short, because I was selfish, I had a choice and I chose myself over doing the right thing. Back then I didn't care where and what that would lead to. But it changed everything... Anyway so I had a choice and I changed it."  
"So what are we going to do now?"  
"Hoping this works", he said ripping the perfectly intact page out of the book.  
Tinkerbell gasped, "wha-"  
Then he took the other page and held it in the place of the old one.  
The book glowed magically white for a few seconds and perfectly mended the page into the book and soon after both of them felt the ground beneath them and everything around them shake.  
That's when he smiled, "it seems to work", he said as the two of them alongside everything else, including the whole town of Storybrooke, Maine, got swallowed by the book which in return disappered as well in the end.  
It would reappear if someone somewhere sometime needed it most.

**\- / - New York - / -  
**

She couldn't believe what she just heard. What? Zelena was pregnant? By Robin? She's been trying to find a way to get him back ever since he left town and he must've not given much about her.  
This this couldn't be true. She knew him, this wasn't him. Even if he believed Marian had been Marian all along he must've had his reasons.  
Whatever it was, she needed some time to herself. She needed to think she only knew that right now she couldn't take this and she couldn't stand her sisters satisfaction.

So she turned around and ran. Past Emma and Lilith down the stairs, and out of the building.

She didn't make it much further because suddenly her legs gave in and she fell on the ground between sidewalk and the road. Her head was spinning and she didn't know what was going on but she couldn't move.  
She heard Emma calling from what appeared to be further away, "Regina?"  
Then she heard Emma scream, "what's going on? LIL-"  
Emma had stopped between Regina and Lilith who by now where both on the ground as she saw Robin running past her throwing himself next to Regina on the ground so she turned to Lilith trying to help her up.  
"Regina", Robin said as he grabbed her from under her arms trying to put her back into a standing position, "what's going on?", he said feeling a little dizzy himself.  
"I don't know", Regina said leaning into him to not fall back down again.  
His arms protectively around her she stood with her back to his chest looking around trying to figure out what was going on.  
Not much seemed to happen as suddenly she felt dizzy again and before she knew it everything around her went black.  
"Noooooooooooooooo!", screamed Emma as she saw all three of them falling to the ground. She couldn't hold her once best friend up anymore and sunk with her to the ground and within seconds all three of them vanished into thin air.  
It was as if they'd never been there in the first place.  
A few seconds later Emma was still standing in the middle of the sidewalk in New York. 'What was I doing?', she asked herself figuring she must have dozed off while walking to her appartment once again.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN: Thank you so much for the feedback. Well then I'll gladly continue writing this. To be honest I've all planned it out in my mind already just need to get it down on paper... so here we go with the next bit. Hope you guys like it. Let me know please.**_ I know this chapter is rather short but I wanted to have this scene stand on its own. I'll try to make the next chapters longer.  
Aside that English is not my first language and I don't have a beta reader so all mistakes are mine.

**_Enchanted Forest (a few decades prior)_**

There she was in front of the door of a tavern. Only moments ago Tinkerbell had been here with her. But more quickly than she could react her new fairy friend had left her on her own.  
She took a deep breath.  
'So this was gonna be it. The man with the lion tattoo,' she thought and then opened the door and walked into the building before she could make up her mind.  
Of course she was nervous but ever since she met Tinkerbell earlier she had the feeling that she could trust her and after all she was a fairy, wasn't she?  
_She never really had a friend. At least not since, since Daniel. But she quickly pushed the thought of him out of her mind. As much as it still hurt her, Daniel was her past. And aside that he wouldn't want her to be miserable. He would want her to be happy again, that much she knew._  
So there she was now in that tavern. She was making her way over to the bar. She knew she had to give the man with the lion tattoo a chance but first she needed a drink.  
A drink and at least a part of a plan on how to make an entrance in his life.

"John? John, did you hear a word I said?", Robin asked his friend that was sitting in front of him on the other side of the table he shared with a few of his friends.  
John didn't say anything but kept staring somewhere behind Robin.  
Robin waved his hand in front of John's eyes which eventually got his attention, "pardon, what?"  
Robin smiled a little, "what could possibly distract you from talking about our current problems with Nottingham?"  
It took a moment until John said something, "she", he said. Almost whispered it.  
And that was when curiosity took over and Robin slowly turned his head around. He didn't want to be caught staring but he wanted to know what distracted his dear friend so much.  
And there she was walking towards the bar. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  
She didn't really seem to belong in this tavern. She looked young. She wasn't overdressed but something about her made him doubt she really came from around here.  
And then it dawned on him. He took a closer look at her face. He had seen that face before. It was her. Not long ago this very woman got married to King Leopold.  
What was the Queen doing in this tavern? It was far away from their castle. Aside that she looked beautiful right now but not even close to being a Queen.  
He turned his head back to look at John then he took a sip of his drink.  
"John, can you please keep the others company I need to do something", Robin said and waited for John to nod before he excused himself to the rest of his friends and got up from his chair to walk over to the bar.  
He doubted anyone had recognised her yet and he wanted to keep it that way. If she came all the way up here for a drink she most probably didn't want to be recognised.  
But he was curious to why she was here and couldn't help himself. He had to find out. Aside that ever since he had seen a drawing of her face, a little while ago when she got married to the King, he couldn't help himself but smile.  
He had to admit though that image of her face didn't give her justice. She was far prettier in real life.  
To him she was the fairest of them all.

She had downed half of her drink when she heard footsteps coming closer and stopping right next to her. Before she could even turn her head around to see who it was, she heard him whisper in her ear, "I'm just curious but what is her Majesty doing all the way down here?"  
That voice send shivers down her spine. Also the fact that someone had already recognised her made her panic a little.  
She turned around and was immediately being face to face with the man with the lion tattoo.  
"Don't panic", he quickly said as he saw that his words must have scared her at least a little bit, "I doubt anyone has noticed that."  
Her face softened a little and a small smile formed on her lips.  
She couldn't recall to have ever met that man before but maybe she had? Maybe he was somehow a person that had been to her castle? There were so many people around her every day she might have seen him before.  
"Have, have we met before?", she asked him therefore.  
"I doubt I'd ever forget meeting you", he said smiling and she couldn't help herself but getting lost into the cerulean ocean in his eyes that somehow made her heart jump.  
He continued, "I've seen some images of you", he said.  
Of course she knew there's been drawings and paintings of her because of recent events.  
He kept on talking then, "but to be honest, none of them do you justice."  
"Thank you", she said blushing a little bit.  
Robin turned to the bartender, "Can we have two of 'what she's having'?", he asked.  
"Sure mate, coming right up", the bartender said and in mere seconds their drinks were ready.  
Robin paid him before turning back to Regina, "would you mind taking this conversation outside?", he asked her, "I mean it's a beautiful evening and I could use some fresh air."  
She nodded, "I'd love to."

They both grapped their drinks, before leaving the tavern together just to sit right outside of it on one of the few benches that where always occupied at day time but usually not at all at that time of night.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Thank you so much for the feedback. :) I'll gladly write more. As said earlier all mistakes are mine. And I really hope someone likes it. Let me know, please.**

"So you know who I am, but who are you?", Regina asked the man who was now sitting beside her.  
He turned to face her, taking her hand in his in the process, "apologies, Mylady", he said as he kissed her hand which made her smile, "I'm Robin. Robin of Loxley."  
"And how come Robin of Loxley ended up in that tavern here tonight?", she asked him.  
He could see and hear that she didn't want to know how he got here this particular evening but how he ended up being here in general.  
He had never told anyone about his life so far. Not even his friends, the so called 'merry men' knew all about his past. But for some reason he felt at ease with her.  
"My farther died when I was very young so I grew up with my mother and her new husband and his daughter. It was only years later that I noticed what a cruel man he was and I begged my mother to leave him. But she couldn't. She was depending on him. She had to feed the two children and wouldn't be able to do that without him.  
Ever since I was a little boy though I dreamed of becoming a knight", he smiled at that image and Regina could stare at that face of his for the rest of her life.  
"So that's what I did. I became a knight. My plan was to save enough money so my mother would eventually be able to leave that bastard of a husband", he sighed.  
"What happened?", Regina asked as she noticed that his plan must have never worked out that way.  
"Well", Robin continued still holding her hand in his, "one day I couldn't take it anymore. I", he lowered his eyes, "I killed him."  
Regina was speechless for a moment but then placed her other hand under his chin causing him to look into her eyes, "it's in the past and from what I heard about that man he might just have deserved it."  
Robin smiled at her, "so you're not mad at me?"  
"I don't have any right to be mad at you and besides I would have probably done the exact same thing", she said, "so what happened then?"  
"Well according to his will my dear stepsister got everything leaving my mother with nothing. I could convince her though to make sure my mother would be able to survive for the rest of her life. In return she never wanted to see my face again.  
She didn't know that I was the one who killed him but she had her suspicions.  
So well, I left. Haven't had a chance to see my mother again since then because she's still living with my stepsister which I do think is good for both of them."  
"But.. you miss her", Regina stated the obvious.  
"Of course I do", Robin said, "but it's best for her. And well now I'm living in the woods with a few friends."  
"How do you survive here?", Regina asked him.  
"In the beginning I still had a bit of my money left from being a knight", Robin said, "but then we started to steal from the rich and give to the poor", he almost swallowed the last part of the sentence.  
To his surprise Regina laughed, "a thief?"  
He nodded.  
"And well right now, as usual, we have a little problem with the Sheriff as well."  
"What does he want from you?", Regina asked being serious once again.  
Robin laughed, "my head on a stick and lots of money."

"So tell me your story", he said, "I doubt it is worse than mine. What brings the Queen to a tavern far away from her castle?"  
"Well first of", Regina began, "it's not my castle. It's the King's castle. I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to marry him. My mother made me marry him.  
I had a boyfriend. But one day I saved the King's daughter. And for doing that he asked me to marry him. It was my mother who agreed on it.  
However the King's daughter, Snow. She, she saw me with him and she knew I loved my boyfriend. I begged her not to tell anyone but somehow she ended up telling my mother about it."  
Robin could see how tears started to form in Regina's eyes, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."  
Regina tightened the grip on his hand a little bit, "I have to. I have to tell someone.  
Well my mother didn't take it well and killed him infront of my eyes."  
"She what?", Robin asked.  
"Of course I was angry at Snow. But I eventually realised that she wanted to help me and that maybe even without her telling my mother, my mother would've ended up killing him anyway.  
As for my mother she had always been a complicated person. Long ago she met this strange man who taught her magic. I do know it sounds weird but she is powerful and she gets what she wants. I never ever want to become like her."  
"You don't have to", Robin said hugging her. He didn't ask for permission because Queen or not to him it was the right thing to do in that moment. She needed someone to be there for her.  
"Thank you", Regina said eventually letting go of him a little so her head was leaning against his shoulder, "well in the past few weeks I've met that powerful man who taught my mother magic, a few times. I, I was angry at Snow so that's why I wanted to meet him the first time.  
And I was angry at my mother. He gave me a mirror. Well a portal it was, a portal to another land, and at that night of my wedding I had an argument with my mother and I pushed her through it.  
I, I was angry at her, I still am, sometimes, but she is my mother and I regret doing that.  
That man however taught me a few things so far but today we had an argument and I told him that I didn't want that anymore. I don't want to become like her and on the other hand I'm married to the King, sitting in a castle with nothing to do.  
Well after he left today, a fairy came and believe it or not, took me here with her. She said that I had a second chance", Regina stopped, "and showed me a man in the tavern. I couldn't see his face I only saw his tattoo", her eyes wandering along Robin's arm that was still holding her hand.  
"It was me?", he said more than questioned her.

He smiled as he was tracing the outlines of her face with his thumb silently asking for her permission which she gladly granted him with a smile before he leaned in to leave a light kiss upon her lips.  
"We should probably get you back to your castle though", he said getting up and helping her in the process.  
"Wait a moment", he said and left before she could even protest.  
A minute later he reappeared followed by a horse and holding a cloak in his arm.  
"You should put it on", he said and gave the cloak to her, "it's getting colder and maybe someone will recognise you on the way."  
"Thank you", Regina said gladly taking his cloak and putting the hood up over her head. The fabric smelled a lot like him. Such a wonderful smell of forest.  
He helped her on his horse before climbing on it as well.  
"Let me", Regina said and took control over where their journey was going to go to. Much to Robin's surprise. He smiled holding onto her. He knew this situation they were currently in would probably give them some more challenges to overcome but somehow he was confident.  
And after all pixie dust never lies.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN: Thank you so much for the feedback, favs and follows on this story. Keep that up guys, it's what makes me want to continue to write it down. :)**_  
_**I know this chapter is a bit shorter but I at least wanted to give you that part now before going to bed. =) Hope you like it. Let me know please.**_

For the next few hours they were riding through the forest towards the castle. They didn't talk much on the way just enjoying each others company.  
It was almost dawn when they reached the edge of the forest and stopped. Robin got of the horse first and wanted to help her down then only to discover that she didn't need his help.  
She was standing right in front of him taking off his cloak.  
"You can keep it", said Robin.  
Regina smiled, "I wish I could but I can't. The King will notice or someone else will notice it for him that that cloak isn't mine and a bit to long to belong to a woman. And I don't want to risk anything."  
"You're right, I didn't think", Robin said.  
"And you might need it on your way back", she said, "I'm so sorry that you have to go all the way back. It will take you ages."  
Robin cupped her cheek in his palm, "Don't be. It was very well worth it."  
She gave him a quick kiss on his lips, "I should be going."  
"Will I-", he started his sentence but was cut off by her laughter.  
"Of course. How about tomorrow, well today?", she said.  
"Afternoon?", he asked.  
"Sundown would be perfect."  
He grabbed her hand and kissed it, "sundown, here it is then."  
She turned around and walked away quickly but not without turning back around again and smiling at him.  
He got back on his horse but kept standing there until she had completely vanished from his sight.  
He had to admit to himself that of course she was beautiful. He had known that before as he told her as well. But that wasn't what really made him want to have her by his side for the rest of his life. He had seen many beautiful women before.  
She had captured his heart with her soul. And her eyes. He couldn't deny that he had to fight not to get lost in their warmth.  
But more importantly it was everything about her. The way she listenend to every word he said and the way she had told him her story. She had been through so much and still she believed that she could have a second chance. With him.  
He had to smile at that. Yes this woman had just stolen something from a thief. She had perfectly well managed to steal his heart.  
Eventually he put his cloak on that smelled of her now which made him grin like an idiot, before riding off.

A few minutes later Regina had made it to her room. Luckily she didn't run into anyone at the palace. She closed the door to her room and leaned against it.  
That was when she realised that someone was sitting on her bed.  
"Tink?", she said, walking towards her fairy friend, "what are you doing here?"  
The fairy smiled, "waiting for you. How was it?"  
Regina couldn't help but smile back.  
"I see", Tink said, "but I still want to know all about it."  
"It was, it was the best night I ever had", Regina said.  
Tinkerbell looked a bit shocked, "you?"  
"No, no", Regina said laughing, "not what you think. We just, we talked a lot. And he took me home from the tavern on his horse. It felt so good to be around him. Comfortable. I was happy around him and I think he enjoyed it as much as I did."  
"That sounds perfect", said the fairy.  
"Well that it was", said Regina, "but it will be complicated, I guess."  
Tinkerbell smiled, "well for today it was perfect. And as for the future you will see what's to come. Take one step at a time."  
Regina smiled, "I can't thank you enough", she said. And that was true. She couldn't thank Tinkerbell enough because for now she had faith. And hope.  
"It would be enough for me to see the two of you being happy together", Tinkerbell said.  
Regina almost started crying, "wow that. No one has ever...", she couldn't even put it into words.  
"Well that's what friends are for", the fairy said smiling.  
"Friends?", Regina asked hugging the fairy.  
"Friends", she stated then slowly moved out of Regina's embrace, "you should catch a bit of sleep and I should go as well."  
"Yeah of course", Regina said.  
"See you around", the fairy said before transforming back into the small winged creature she was and flew off leaving Regina's room in a slight green glow for a little while.


	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: **Thank you for all the reviews. I'm really glad you like the story so far. And I hope you like where this is going to go. I'm sorry that it took me some time now to update but life's been busy... _  
_So yeah feedback is as usual very much appreciated. Enjoy!****_

**OQOQOQOOQOQOQOOQOQOQOOQOQ**

It took Robin hours until he arrived in his camp. But he didn't regret one second of the time he invested in meeting her.  
Quietly he put his horse back in its place and made his way over to his tent. It wasn't the first time that he came back early in the morning and he was a thief. So being quiet was something he was used to.  
When he made it to his tent he was surprised though to see 'little' John sitting on his usual sleeping place. That man was everything but 'little' after all.  
"Why are you awake?", Robin asked but already knew the answer.  
"Have you lost your mind?", John asked him.  
Robin grinned, "just my heart, John. Just my heart."  
"Seriously Robin", John said, "have you lost your marbles? I don't know who that woman is but something tells me that we might be in some trouble because of her."  
"I'm serious John", Robin said, "I've never felt the way I felt in her company."  
"Ah so that's it then, she's good in bed", John said.  
Robin glared at John, "we didn't. And even if that's none of anyone's business."  
John sighed, "so what is it then? What does she have that no one else has?"  
"It's everything about her, John", Robin said and John could see in Robin's face how true his words really were, "her personality, her smile, her eyes, her face, everything."  
"But?", John asked. He knew there was something. There was always something. Otherwise that woman would be standing next to Robin right here, this instant.  
"We're going to be in a lot of trouble", Robin said.  
"Let me guess, she's married", John said more than asked.  
"Well you could say that", Robin had to laugh.  
"Don't tell me you've fallen for the wife of a Sheriff or something."  
"Well."  
"It's Nottigham, isn't it?", John asked, "please don't let it be Nottingham."  
"Leopold", Robin said and as soon as his words had reached John's ears he wished it was Nottingham's wife.  
"Oh dear. Nottingham would have been easier", John said. Then continued, "so you're. You're sure that you want it? She's worth it?" John already knew the answers. He knew Robin and he could read his face like an open book. Aside that Robin didn't talk often about what he wanted but when he did then he really wanted that.  
Robin nodded.  
And that was all that John needed, "ok. We're gonna do this", he said smiling, "we'll help you, Robin. We'll do everything we can for you. But you already know that."  
There were a few tears on Robin's face by now and John quickly got on his feet to hug his friend, "thank you", was what Robin whispered in his ear, "thank you so much. You don't know how much it means to me."  
"Us", he said, "we're all in this together now."

Regina was lying wide a wake in her bed for most of the night after Tinkerbell had left.  
All kinds of thoughts were running through her mind.  
She was smiling. She was smiling when she thought about him.  
Smiling the way that she did just a couple of hours ago when she was still with him. Smiling like she hadn't been doing so in such a long time before he came along. Before he and Tinkerbell came along who showed her that maybe, maybe perhaps a second chance was possible.  
The situation was a mess. She wasn't just any married woman. No, she was the Queen. His situation was a little bit easier to handle but to be honest not the best one either. So they would have to come up with something really good to make this work.  
But she knew one thing. She would try. She would try everything and as hard as she could to make this work.  
Robin was worth it.  
She has had only met him hours ago but he had stolen her heart in this short amount of time entirely.  
He would be the one thing in her life that was worth fighting for. And so she swore to herself that she would.  
She would fight for him. For them. To make this work. She would give up everything just to be with him. To be happy.  
She didn't need all the fancy food from all over the world that she had at the castle or expensive dresses. She didn't need hundreds of people around her that pretended to care about her but didn't.  
She just needed happiness.  
She needed a home in this world.  
And as of now she knew a part of this world. A big part, was him. Him and also Tinkerbell. And the rest, she hoped, would somehow settle around that.


End file.
